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Mathematics
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‘Outsiders’ Crack 50-Year-Old Math Problem
Three computer scientists have solved a problem central to a dozen far-flung mathematical fields.
Nature’s Critical Warning System
Scientists are homing in on a warning signal that arises in complex systems like ecological food webs, the brain and the Earth’s climate. Could it help prevent future catastrophes?
Be Still My Pulsating Sequence
Can you infer the simple rule behind a number sequence that spikes up and down like the beating of a heart?
Solution: ‘Creating Art With Mathematics’
The solution to this month’s puzzle explains the artful mathematics behind symmetrical patterns.
Theorists Draw Closer to Perfect Coloring
A theorem for coloring a large class of “perfect” mathematical networks could ease the way for a long-sought general coloring proof.
Networks Untangle Malaria’s Deadly Shuffle
By examining regions shared between some of nature's most variable genes, malaria researchers are piecing together an understanding of a deadly parasite.
A Twisted Path to Equation-Free Prediction
Complex natural systems defy analysis using a standard mathematical toolkit, so one ecologist is throwing out the equations.
How to Create Art With Mathematics
Can you generate aesthetically pleasing, symmetrical curves with two numbers and a simple mathematical function?
A Magical Answer to an 80-Year-Old Puzzle
Using crowd-sourced and traditional mathematics research, Terence Tao has devised a solution to a long-standing problem posed by the legendary Paul Erdős.